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Breweries, beer and craft ale in Valencia

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Breweries, beer and craft ale in Valencia

It looks like you've finally caught up, Spain. Welcome to the era of the ale. I am British. And I love a good drink. Make of those two sentences what you will. If there's something special about British pubs, it's the ale. Drinking an ale, for me, conjures up feelings of "home"; of sitting in a countryside pub in Yorkshire next to a crackling fire. A quick glance down the bar of any pub anywhere in the country is testament to just how many beers and ales call the UK home. It's common to see 3 or 4 different varieties in any standard pub, often rotating and changing in accordance to … [Read more...]

Tales of Línea 1

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Tales of Línea 1

You may have heard some disconcerting stories about the Valencian underground: delays, reduced services, untoward methods against heavy rain featuring conspicuously placed buckets... The truth of the matter is that metrovalencia leaves a lot to be desired when compared to its sister system in Madrid and paints even less of a pretty picture in comparison to the ever-efficient London tube. In Valencia you often find yourself stood waiting, desperately staring up at the boards, with the only things making an appearance being more and more people piling into the station while the "expected … [Read more...]

The bizarre world of Spanish squats

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The bizarre world of Spanish squats

It's 5am and you're sat on a wooden box painted to look like a coffin in the middle of a muddy garden drinking a can of Carrefour beer. To your left there's a group of people clapping and singing flamenco; to your right, a gaggle of punks huddled around a threadbare sofa. This was the scenario we found ourselves in last weekend after we unwittingly stumbled upon L'Eskombrera - a CSO (Centro social ocupado, or squat house) in the vegetable fields around Benimaclet, Valencia. The huge building, which was probably once used as an alquería or farm house, lies at the end of a dark, narrow road … [Read more...]

Street Art Valencia

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Street Art Valencia

It only takes a short stroll around Valencia to realise that if there’s one thing the city's got (apart from lots and lots of rice) it's great street art. By no means an in-depth study, I’ve dug deep into the archives of my aging laptop -and even trekked around town with my trusty Nikon- to bring you a quick look at some of my favourite pieces. El Carmen Probably the first piece of street art that anyone new to the city sees is Blu's Moses with the huge beard of snakes opposite the tumbling car on the corner of nightlife hotspot, Plaza Tossal. The car, by native Valencian Escif, has … [Read more...]

Homage to Catalonia; Scotland says ho sentim

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Homage to Catalonia; Scotland says ho sentim

As I write, the flags of Scotland (or 45% of them, at least) are at proverbial half-mast. I woke up on Friday, September 19th, 2014 to the sentence that will stay with me for the rest of my life: ‘Scotland Says ‘No’ to Independence’. It was the first country ever to do so. Beneath the low wail of the disenfranchised youth, cries of confusion could be heard thousands of miles away in Catalonia to the effect of, “What are you doing?! You’ve ruined it for all of us!” We know, we know. And we’re really sorry. The truth is that, in the lead up to the devastating result, Catalonia had … [Read more...]

El dret a Gaudí(r)

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El dret a Gaudí(r)

Park Güell, Gaudí's fairytale playground, pays as much homage to modernist art and architecture as it does to Catalan identity. But nowadays it all comes at a price... Built between 1900 and 1914 and inaugurated as a public park in 1926, the quirky wonderland has, for nearly a century now, been lending itself to those searching for a bit of peace and quiet amidst Barcelona's intense mix of city centre high rises and traffic jams. What was once a tranquil haven set aside from the hustle and bustle of the Catalonian capital, Park Güell is now surrounded by fences, guards, workers and … [Read more...]

Day trips from Valencia

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Day trips from Valencia

There is absolutely no need to escape Valencia. It's one of my most favourite cities, a beautiful mix of old and new set on a clean, sweeping sandy beach. It doesn't get too hot, you can bike everywhere and it is dissected by a beautiful garden planted in the old river bed which snakes its way from the beach to the old town. If you fancy exploring though and you do want a day trip from Valencia, here are some of my recommendations. These trips came through endlessly flicking through my Discover Spain book in search of some culture (during the rainy Easter period) or the best "off the beaten … [Read more...]

A weekend in Cabo de Gata

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A weekend in Cabo de Gata

Rugged landscapes, hidden beaches and free tapas: Cabo de Gata Natural Park in a nutshell. The Cabo de Gata area, located at the south easternmost tip of Spain, is vast and sparsely populated. Apart from greenhouses and the odd hamlet, the area is mountainous and desert-like as far as the eye can see. All of the coastal towns, however, are charming and bustling and offer some of the best beaches in Spain. Base camp for the weekend was Níjar - a beautiful little Andalusian town famous for its pottery and jarapa rugs. Its central location means that nearly all of Cabo de Gata's beaches can … [Read more...]

Girlz-N-The-Hood: the ghetto gospel truth about Guatemala City

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Girlz-N-The-Hood: the ghetto gospel truth about Guatemala City

“Big, dirty and dangerous” are the only words that Lonely Planet can find to describe Guatemala City. My friends and family had no trouble finding alternative adjectives when I told them I was moving here for 2 and a half months to write my dissertation: “one of the highest rates of violent death in Latin America”, “I’d feel better if you got a gun”, and “Have you died yet?” were personal highlights on my ‘How Not to Reassure Someone’ list. The week before I left, The Guardian printed an article entitled “Murder in Guatemala: ‘I won’t allow my daughter to become another statistic’. It … [Read more...]

Primavera Sound 2014: a memoir

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Primavera Sound 2014: a memoir

I've always been vaguely aware of Primavera Sound's pretentious reputation, a bit -dare I say it- hipster? Come on. Stereotype with me. You've got Download: metal heads in a field, FIB Benicàssim: guiris camping on the surface of the sun, T in the Park: Scots on mandy jibbing at other Scots on coke, Primavera Sound: a big ball of bohemian yah. So I can't really complain... I knew what I getting myself into. But when a group of Glaswegians invited me on a lairy weekend in, possibly, one of my favourite cities on the planet, how could I refuse? I hastily packed all the denim I could … [Read more...]

La Albufera: Valencia’s natural beauty spot

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La Albufera: Valencia's natural beauty spot

The Albufera is one of Valencia's hidden gems. I say hidden, it's actually huge and just 20 minutes down the road in the car. But even so, it is often overlooked by tourists visiting the area. Who knew that Spain's third largest city sat next to a beautiful 52 acre natural park and freshwater lake - one of the largest lakes in Spain? The protected area stretches from 11km south of Valencia city to Cullera and includes many seaside towns including El Perelló and Mareny de Barraquetes. The surface area of the lake was once exceptionally larger than it is nowadays, but farmers drained … [Read more...]

Feria de Abril: A Guiri’s Guide

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Feria de Abril: A Guiri's Guide

Since moving back to the UK last year, I am reminded with alarming regularity that, Toto, we’re not in Spain anymore. I’m reminded every time I pay more than a Euro for a beer; I’m reminded every time I stand nicely in a queue; and I’m reminded with every breakfast, lunch, and 6pm-sharp dinner. But there’s no time of year I am more harshly reminded of my residency than this week: the Feria de Abril (that’s April Fair to you and I). I was lucky enough to experience Feria in Seville: its birthplace and biggest fan. Feria in Andalucia is a pretty big deal. Don’t make the mistake of going in … [Read more...]

Porto: muito obrigada!

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Porto: muito obrigada!

A whirlwind tour of Portugal's second largest city shows that there's much more to see than fado and francesinhas Like many Spaniards, we took advantage of the long Easter weekend to escape the pointy hats and manic church bells. The destination? Porto. First things first: Porto is beautiful. A hilly metropolis filled with tile-clad, low-rise houses and apartment blocks with terracotta rooftops, overlooking the river Douro. And all those hills means that you'll leave the city with thighs of steel, especially if you climb the Clérigos Tower - one of the few main monuments to see. No, … [Read more...]

The Benidorm Syndrome

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The Benidorm Syndrome

A quick jaunt around Benidorm's main stretch confirms the worst: despite the 2 hour plane journey, you've somehow landed in a bizarre alternate dimension of the UK - and the only difference here is that you're burning to a crisp under the Spanish sunshine. Neon signs and Union Jack bunting guide you through the "English quarter", an area just a few minutes' walk from the main Levante beach. Bars pride themselves on having imported top-notch British drinks, such as Carling and Bulmers, while others classily boast that their €3 fry ups offer "REAL bacon - None of that Spanish shite". Welcome to … [Read more...]

Holy Week traditions in Spain: More sinister than the Easter bunny

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Holy Week traditions in Spain: More sinister than the Easter bunny

Easter in the UK means two things: 1) a long weekend and 2) the inevitable onset of nausea after eating one too many Lindt chocolate bunnies. In Spain, things are a little different... Don't be alarmed if you're confronted by an army of solemnly marching locals, shuffling along to the beat of a drum, dressed in what can only be described as a Ku Klux Klan uniform. There, I said it. And don't deny that you haven't thought it too. But what does it all mean? At university we had it drilled into us that Catholicism is still very predominant in Spain. Despite the illusion that the cura, … [Read more...]